Weed and Feed For Lawns

Weed and feed combines a broadleaf herbicide with fertilizer into one easy-to-use product. It comes in both granular and liquid forms, sprayed directly on the lawn.

Weed and feed relies on three big nutrients—nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium (chemical symbols N-P-K)—to keep grass in weed-fighting shape. Understanding how these nutrients work helps you select a weed and feed that works best for your yard.

Weed Control

Weed and feed for lawns is a lawn care product that combines post-emergent herbicides to kill weeds with fertilizer to help your grass grow healthy. It comes in a ready-to-use liquid form or in dry granular forms that you spread on the lawn after watering it.

Weeds can take over your lawn if you don’t keep them in check with the right lawn care products. Weed control should be a part of a plan that includes separate applications of fertilizers and weed killers at the proper time.

Most granular lawn products use herbicides to kill weeds and a fertilizer to provide nutrients. The mix of ingredients varies, but most contain some combination of nitrogen, phosphorous and/or potassium to green up your lawn.

If you have only a few weeds that are choking out your lawn, use a herbicide labeled for the specific weeds you want to eradicate. Applying a weed and feed product to your entire lawn encourages the overuse of herbicides that can pollute runoff into rivers and streams.

Fertilization

A beautiful lawn depends on the correct balance of nutrients to thrive. Lawns need nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. These nutrients are found naturally in soil, air or water, but not always in the same amount and in the right balance.

Fertilizers contain these nutrients in the proper amounts to help your grass grow and thrive. Almost all fertilizer packaging has three numbers on the label, which represent the percentages of Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), and Potassium (K) in the formula.

Choosing the correct type of fertilizer is important, as different types of grasses require different amounts of nutrients. Also, different types of soil need different levels of nutrients to function properly.

To get the best results from a fertilizer, you’ll need to choose the right timing and application method. In general, most fertilizers need to be applied twice a year. The first feeding should occur in the spring, when the soil is warm enough for fertilizer to be absorbed quickly.

Weed Prevention

Using a weed and feed product is an easy way to prevent weeds from growing in your lawn. Some weed and feeds contain pre-emergent herbicides, which block weed seeds from germinating.

The best weed and feeds for your lawn are products that are safe for people, pets and wildlife. They also do not damage the soil health that is so important to the long-term health of your turfgrass.

A weed and feed that is granular works to create a barrier between the soil and weed seeds, blocking them from germinating. It is especially effective against dandelions, clover and other common lawn weeds.

The problem with a granular weed and feed is that the granules cling to shoes and children’s clothing if they are playing on the lawn, and they are carried indoors where they can track to other areas of your yard and home. Pets also tend to lick their paws, and they can ingest residues from a weed and feed product.

Damage Control

Weed and feed products are often used as an effective way to control weeds and fertilize your lawn in one step. However, there are a few things you should know before using this type of lawn care treatment.

First, weed and feed products contain herbicides. Herbicides are designed to kill weed seeds before they germinate. They also prevent the growth of certain weeds like crabgrass and some broadleaf weeds.

These herbicides should be applied early in the spring before the weed seeds start to sprout. The problem is that many homeowners have trouble achieving this ideal timing.

Another concern is that the herbicides in weed and feed products may be harmful to trees, shrubs, and other plants. They can damage the roots of these plants, causing browning and even death of parts of your yard over time.